berthoud



' Patented Nov. 2. 1880.

Machine for Insulating Telegraph Wire.

(NoMqdeL) E. B. BERTHOUD 8v A. P. BOREL.

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Unrrnn STATES PATENT GFFi'cE.

EDOUARl E. BERTHOUD, OF CORTAILLOD, AND ARNOLD F. BOREL, OF BOUDRY,NEUGHATEL, SWITZERLAND MACHINE FOR INSULATING TELEGRAPH-WIRES.

SPECIPI'CATION'forming part of'Letters Patent No. 233,970, datedNovember 2, 1880. .pplication filed May 28(1880. (No model.)

7T0 aZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that we; EDOUARD. ERNESTBERTHOUD, of Cort-aillod, and ARNOLD FRAN- gois BOREL, of Boudry,Neuchatel, Switzerland, have invented a new and Improved Machinefor-Making Insulated Telegraph Cables and Wires, of which the followingis a specification.

, The object of our invention is to provide a 10' newand improvedmachine for covering telegraph cables and wires. with insulatingmaterial and" with a leaden protecting-envelope.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation ofourirnproved machine for nected with the cylinder of a hydraulic press,

B, by means of two or more strong columns. 0. The press B contains apiston, D, provided with an annular shoulder, E, and two packings, a andb, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon the top of the piston D a centrally andlongitudinally perforated block, F, is hinged, which block is connectedwith a platform, G, situated above the chamber A, by means of two rods,H H, passing through the chamber A. The platform supports a tube, J, thelow ger end of which is provided with a conical di like sharp-edgednozzle, 1, which almost touches the top of the hinged perforated blockF, whereas the upper end 'of the tube J supports avessel, K, containinganysuitable insulating material,and is surrounded by a vessel, L,containing hot oil or some other suitable liquid, to keep insulatingmaterial in a fluid or semi-fluid state. The vessel L is surroundedbyavessel, M, contain ing charcoal-powder or some other non-conductor ofheat, to prevent the oil from cooling; or the vessel L may be coveredwith non-conducting material in any suitable manner.

The oil or other liquid is conducted into the vessel L by the pipe N,and passes from there, through the pipe 0, into a jacket or annularvessel, P, surrounding the chamber A, and is drawn from there throughthe pipe Q.

The vessels L and P are provided with the from the fibrous covering ofthe cable.

The vessel. K is provided with valve or cook c, for drawing off theremaining insulating ma terial when the operation ceases.

A threaded tube, T. provided at its lower end with a bevel, d, whichexactly fits onto the top of the tube J ,and at its upper end with anut, f, passes through the lid 9 of the vessel K, and is supported uponthe same by means of the nut f.

An annular shoulder,U, is inserted in the top of the block F, which isbeveled toward the center, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 3. As theblock F must be rotated on its pintles when afresh block of l ad is. .tobe placed int the lead-chamber A, or if the shoulder U and nozzle I areto be replaced by others, a shelf, h, is supported on brackets j j,attached to the columns O O, and a Windlass, V, is provided on theopposite two columns for the purpose of assisting in raising the blockF.

. The upper part of the piston D is provided with a slot, \V, in which apulley, Z, is pivoted.

Thepipe Y leads water or oil to the upper end, and the pipe Z to thelower end, of the piston of the hydraulic press B.

The cables may be simply insulated without being covered with lead, ifthey are only passed through the vessel K and tubes T and J.

Paraffine is preferably used as insulating material.

The operation is as follows: A cylindrical centrally and longitudinallyperforated block of lead is placed into the-lead-chainber A, and thecable or wire, which must be previously surrounded by a covering ofcotton or other fibrous material, is passed through the tubesT and .1.If the tube T is slightly raised, the insulating material will flowthrough the space between the lower beveled end of the tube T and thetop of the tube J, and as the cable is in the tube J the insulatingmaterial passes into and around the cable, completely impregnating thesame. The cable passes through the block of lead, which is kept at avery high temperature by the hot oil or water in the jacket I, so thatall the moisture is removed If water is forced into .the press-cylinderthrough the pipe Z, the piston will rise and press the top of the blockF against theunder side of the block of lead in the lead-chamber A, and

5 the lead is forced to escape in the she e of a leaden tube, the insidediameter of w ich is equal to the diameter of the lower edge of thenozzle I, and outer diameter ofwhich is equal to the diameter of theaperature in the annular 1o shoulder U through the central bore, X, ofthe block F; but as the cable has been conducted into this bore by thetube J it is evident that the so-formed tube will snugly surround thecable. As fast as the tube is produced it draws the cable downward,which then passes over the pulley l and is wound onto ,some suitabledrum. The bore X of the block F is greater in diameter than the innerdiameter of the tube J, so that the covered cable can conveniently passthrough it. The nozzle I and the annular shoulder U may be changed forothers,

so that the thickness of the leaden tube may be made as desired, andcable of any desired diameter may be passed through the tube J.

As soon as theentire block of lead has been formed into a tube, thewater or other liquid is admitted into the upper part of thepresscylinder through the tube Y, and, acting upon the shoulder E,forces the piston downward, a cock to leave out the liquid below'thepiston havin been previously opened. The block F is then aid over, asshown indotted lines, andva fresh block of 'lead is inserted into thelead-chamber A.

Any kind of press may be used instead of a hydraulic press.

The insulated cables or wires manufactured with the herein-describedmachine are more perfectly insulated than any other kind of 40 cable.The insulation is absolutely perfect.

and described, and for the'purpose set forth.

The cable cannot be damaged by moisture; can be handled convenientlywithout damaging the insulating-envelope, which can be made of anydesired thickness; and, finally, permits of using numerous materialsforinsulators which could not be used for this purpose heretofore, andconsequently the priceof the cable is materially reduced. 1

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let- 5o ters Patent, isc 1. In a machine for making insulatedcables; the combination ofthe platform G with tube J, supported insaidplatform, projecting. at the lower end with a nozzle nearly to theopening in block F, and sustaining the vessel K at the top, as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, with the tube J and vessel K, of the threaded tubeT, having bevel d 231d the nut f, as and for the purpose specifie 3. Thecombination, with the insulating-vessel K, of the oil-vessel 13,. thepipe- 0, the annular vessel P, and the vessel A, as and for the purposeset forth.

4. In an apparatus for making insulated telegraph cables andfwires; thecombination, with the piston D, of the hinged perforated block F,substantially as herein shown and de scribed, and for the purpose setforth.

5. In an apparatus for making insulated telegraph wires and cables, thecombination, with the pivoted block F, of the windlass'V and the shelfh, substantially as herein shown EDOUARD ERNEST BERTHOUD. ARNOLDFRANCOIS BOBEL. Witnesses:

P. FABOTIET, T. Pannm.

